Method of reducing herbaceous fuels in areas susceptible to wildfires

ABSTRACT

A method of reducing herbaceous fuels may include identifying a region to reduce herbaceous fuels, dividing the region into susceptible areas, placing the susceptible areas in an order, and introducing an ingestible into a first susceptible area in the order. The method may also include selecting an ungulate group and the ingestible may be highly palatable, portable, and self-limiting. Placing the susceptible areas in an order may include analyzing the susceptible areas for a level of susceptibility, prioritizing the susceptible areas based on each area&#39;s conditions and surroundings, and/or considering practical aspects of treating all of the susceptible areas of the region. The ingestible may be moved throughout the region to reduce herbaceous fuels.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application is a continuation-in-part (“CIP”) applicationof, and claims priority to, U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/304,476(“the '476 application”) filed on Dec. 14, 2005 and issued May 26, 2009as U.S. Pat. No. 7,536,979. The '476 application is a CIP applicationof, and claims priority to, U.S. patent application Ser. Nos. 10/626,293(“the '293 application”) and 11/126,376 (“the '376 application”). The'293 application was filed Jul. 24, 2003 and issued Apr. 18, 2006 asU.S. Pat. No. 7,028,639. The '376 application was filed Jul. 25, 2003and issued Dec. 5, 2006 as U.S. Pat. No. 7,143,721. The '293 applicationand the '376 application are both CIP applications of U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 10/395,532 (“the 532 application”), which was filedMar. 24, 2003 and issued Dec. 5, 2006 as U.S. Pat. No. 7,143,720. The'532 application is a continuation application of U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 10/059,806, filed Jan. 28, 2002 and issued May 13,2003 as U.S. Pat. No. 6,561,133, which is a continuation application ofU.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/745,609, filed Dec. 21, 2000 andissued May 21, 2002 as U.S. Pat. No. 6,390,024, which is divisionalapplication of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/266,176, filed Mar.10, 1999 and issued Jun. 12, 2001 as U.S. Pat. No. 6,244,217. All of theaforementioned applications and patents are hereby incorporated byreference in their entireties.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to a method of managing foragingareas. More particularly, the present invention relates to a method ofusing an animal feed supplement to manage foraging areas.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Proper management of foraging areas is important to maximize animalcarrying capacity, encourage animal vitality/health, and to preserve theenvironment. Three issues facing those who manage foraging areas include(1) the location of wild ungulate foraging, (2) the proliferation ofnoxious plants, including those plants classified as an invasivespecies, and (3) the existence of herbaceous fuels in areas susceptibleto wildfires.

With respect to the first issue facing those who manage foraging areas,wild ungulates, such as elk, deer, bison, etc., forage where they findforaging conditions to be most suitable. Consequently, the naturalforaging distribution of wild ungulates may encompass some foragingareas and not others. Thus, some foraging areas will have many wildungulates, while other foraging areas will have few or none.

Individuals and groups, such as ranchers, farmers, wildlife enthusiasts,environmentalists, state and national wildlife agencies, and state andnational land management agencies, concern themselves with the naturalforaging distribution of wild ungulates in various foraging areas. Forexample, farmers prefer that the foraging distribution of wild ungulatesdoes not encompass their fields when their crops are first sprouting inthe springtime. To prevent the transmission of disease from wildungulates to livestock, as can occur between bison infected withbrucellosis and cattle, ranchers prefer that the foraging distributionof wild ungulates does not encompass the grazing area of theirlivestock. Wildlife enthusiasts and park managers prefer that theforaging distribution of wild ungulates encompasses less remote areas tofacilitate the viewing of wild ungulates, thereby increasingappreciation for wild ungulates and nature.

In view of the preceding discussion, it is clear that there is a need inthe art for a method of modifying the natural foraging distribution ofwild ungulates.

With respect to the second issue facing those who manage foraging areas,noxious weeds, and especially non-native noxious weeds or invasive plantspecies, have become a significant problem throughout North America andother parts of the world. A plant becomes an invasive specie by beingtransferred through artificial means (usually human action) to locationswhere the plant has no natural inhibitors to the plant's proliferation(e.g., the location lacks animals that naturally graze the plant,diseases or insect enemies that naturally afflict the plant, etc.). Aclassic example of an invasive species is the prickly pear (Opuntiastricta), which overran vast areas of Australia until a moth(Cactoblastis cactorum) was introduced, eliminating more than 90% of theprickly pear infestation within 10 years.

Invasive species disturb natural ecosystems, displacing species nativeto the location and causing harm. In some areas, invasive plant specieshave resulted in an environmental disaster, wherein one or more invasiveplant species have crowded out native plants to the point of extinction.For example, in parts of western Montana, spotted knapweed (Centaureamaculosa) has spread to the point that some areas are nearly devoid ofnative grasses. A similar situation exists in southwest South Dakota andnortheast Wyoming with respect to leafy spurge (Euphorbia esula).

Once established in an area, invasive plant species quickly spread andcrowd out native plant species. As result, native plant species aresignificantly reduced or made extinct in the area, thereby reducing thearea's ability to support wild and domestic animals that depend on thenative plant species for food and shelter.

Chemical herbicides are useful in the control, reduction and eradicationof noxious weeds, including invasive species. However, because plantseeds often fall to the ground and delay sprouting for several years,chemical herbicides, and all other weed control methods, must befaithfully applied year after year in an area to control, reduce andeventually eradicate the noxious weeds. Where the areas of noxious weedinfestation are great in size and concentration, the repeatedapplication of herbicides can be very expensive. For example, it isestimated Missoula County, in western Montana, has over 600,000 acres ofnoxious weeds and that it would take $12 to $14 million per year from2005 to 2020 to eradicate the county's noxious weeds. Not only is suchan effort cost prohibitive, but the application of such large andcontinuous amounts of chemical herbicide would likely have adverseenvironmental and health consequences.

To avoid the cost, health and environmental drawbacks associated withcombating spotted knapweed via chemical herbicides, Missoula County hasturned other methods of weed control including the introduction ofbiological control agents, seeding with weed resistant grasses,inter-seeding weedy areas, and controlled grazing with ungulates, suchas cattle, sheep and goats. Each of these methods of weed control hasits own drawbacks. For example, with respect the two seeding methods,plant seed is very expensive to purchase and plant. This expense can becost prohibitive when having to seed large areas annually.

With respect to the biological control agent method, Missoula County hasintroduced the knapweed seed head fly (Urophora affinis and U.quadrifasciata), the lesser nap weed flower weevil (Larinus minutus),the knapweed root weevil (Cyphocleonus acbates), and the yellow wingedknapweed root weevil (Agapeda zoegana). Each of these insects naturallyafflicts spotted knapweed. However, introducing such biological controlagents has risks of its own where the biological control agent isnon-native and, as a result, could itself become an invasive species.

With respect to the grazing methods, ungulates (e.g., cattle, sheep andgoats) will graze on spotted knapweed during certain stages of theplant's existence. To achieve any weed control benefit from theungulates' willingness to graze upon spotted knapweed, herders have beenemployed to maintain the ungulates in the spotted knapweed areas of agrazing area in order to get the ungulates to sufficiently focus theirgrazing activities on the spotted knapweeds. Unfortunately, herding isvery labor intensive. Also, ungulates are adverse to being pushed orforced into a spotted knapweed patch in the spotted knapweed areas of apasture, thereby making it difficult to achieve optimum weed controlbenefit from concentrating the ungulates on the spotted knapweedpatches.

In view of the preceding discussion, it is clear that there is a need inthe art for a method of controlling noxious plant species that is safe,cost effective, of low labor intensity, and optimizes the control,reduction and eventual eradication of the noxious plant species.

With respect to the third issue facing those who manage foraging areas,wildfires are an ever increasing concern. These concerns relate not onlyto the occurrence of fire, but also the costs of fighting them. A recentfive-part Los Angeles Times series on the costs and futility of fightingfires won a Pulitzer Prize. “In their wildfire articles, reportersBettina Boxall and Julie Cart reported that costly aerial drops of waterand retardant often were ordered against firefighters' better judgmentbecause they “make good television” and helped win political points forlocal officials.” Susman, Tina, “Pulitzers recognize the publicwatchdogs,” Los Angeles Times, Apr. 21, 2009. “The tab for one day offire fighting was more than $2.5 million. Despite such expenses, theseries showed, fire protection policies were not working, and bigger,deadlier fires were raging.” Id. In light of these futile efforts andtheir associated costs, an alternative and more proactive approach isneeded.

One known problem or factor in the fuels available for forest firesrelates to the tendency, mentioned above, of wild ungulates to foragewhere they find foraging conditions to be most suitable. This may leavemany non-cultivated areas overgrown. One of these tendencies, which mayexacerbate the problem, may be for wild ungulates to prefer newsprouting growth, leaving cured growth untouched and increasinglysusceptible to wild fires. The tendency to forage in suitable areas isseen in domestic ungulates as well, where they may focus on lowlandriparian areas. This tendency may also exacerbate the problem ofwildfires because the highland areas, which may be naturally drier, arethe areas that may become overgrown. In addition to the natural tendencyof ungulates to forage where it is most suitable, the infiltration ofnoxious and/or invasive plant species may cause ungulates, wild ordomestic, to avoid additional areas of potential foraging. Consequently,these overgrowth areas may be susceptible to wildfires. This may beespecially true during dry conditions.

In view of the preceding discussion, it may be apparent that there is aneed in the art for a method of controlling ungulate grazing patterns toreduce herbaceous fuels in areas susceptible to wild fires.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention, in one embodiment, is a method of using aplurality of domestic ungulates to precondition a foraging area toenhance the attractiveness of the foraging area to a plurality of wildungulates. The method comprises selecting the foraging area to bepreconditioned, selecting a target period, selecting a preconditioningperiod, and providing at least one highly palatable, portable,self-limiting, animal feed supplement in the foraging area during thepreconditioning phase. The target period is when the plurality of wildungulates uses the foraging area once it has been preconditioned by thedomestic ungulates. The preconditioning period is when the plurality ofdomesticated ungulates preconditions (i.e., forages in) the foragingarea for subsequent use by the wild ungulates during the target period.The highly palatable, portable, self-limiting, animal feed supplementattracts the plurality of domesticated ungulates to the foraging areaand increases the length of stay of the plurality of domesticatedungulates in the foraging area.

During the preconditioning period, when the domesticated ungulatesforage in the foraging area, the domesticated ungulates remove the oldforage and deposit manure throughout the foraging area. Because the oldforage has been removed, the ratio of new forage to old forage isincreased after a subsequent growth period. Also, because manure hasbeen distributed throughout the foraging area, the new forage grows morevigorously during a subsequent growth period. As a result, because ofthe preconditioning, the foraging area ends up being more attractive towild ungulates than it would otherwise be without preconditioning.

The present invention, in another embodiment, is a method of modifying awild ungulate foraging distribution. The method comprises selecting aforaging area to be encompassed by the wild ungulate foragingdistribution and supplying in the foraging area an ingestible adapted tobe ingested by a preconditioning ungulate. The ingestible attracts thepreconditioning ungulate to the foraging area and increases the dwelltime of the preconditioning ungulate within the foraging area. In oneembodiment, the preconditioning ungulates may be cattle, sheep, goats,lamas or horses. In another embodiment, the preconditioning ungulatesmay be domesticated or semi-domesticated elk, deer, bison or wildhorses. In one embodiment, the wild ungulates may be elk, deer, bison orwild horses.

The present invention, in another embodiment, is a preconditionedforaging area enhanced by a domestic ungulate to be more attractive to awild ungulate. The foraging area comprises a foraging area and a highlypalatable, portable, self-limiting, animal feed supplement located inthe foraging area. The animal feed supplement is adapted to attract thedomestic ungulate to the foraging area and to increase a length of stayof the domestic ungulate in the foraging area.

The present invention, in another embodiment, is a preconditioned foragearea attractive to wild ungulates as a source of young growth forage.The preconditioned forage area has a predetermined grazing levelproduced by providing at least one highly palatable, portable,self-limiting, animal feed supplement in the preconditioned foragingarea. The preconditioned foraging area is accessible to wild ungulatesbut distinct from foraging areas habitually frequented by such wildungulates. The at least one animal feed supplement is provided in thepreconditioned foraging area in advance of a forage growing season andfor a period of time sufficient for a plurality of domesticatedungulates to precondition the foraging area. The at least one animalfeed supplement is adapted to attract the plurality of domesticatedungulates to the preconditioned foraging area and to increase a lengthof stay of the domesticated ungulates in the preconditioned foragingarea.

The present invention, in another embodiment, is a method of controllingnoxious plant species. The method comprises identifying a target area ina foraging area, selecting a treatment period, selecting an ungulatespecie, providing an animal feed supplement at a first deploymentlocation in the target area, and introducing the selected ungulatespecie to the animal feed supplement in the target area during thetreatment period. The target is considered such because it includes anoxious plant specie. During the treatment period, the selected ungulatespecie will interact with the noxious plant specie in the target area.For example, the ungulates interact with the noxious plant specie byeating the noxious plant specie and/or by trampling the noxious plantspecie. The animal feed supplement is highly-palatable, portable,self-limiting, attracts the ungulate specie to the target area, andincreases the length of stay of the ungulate specie in the target area.In one embodiment, the feed supplement is tailored for the nutritionalneeds of the selected ungulate specie and/or the taste preferences ofthe selected ungulate specie.

In one embodiment, the selection of the treatment period is coordinatedwith a stage of the noxious plant specie that offers an increasedlikelihood the ungulates will graze on the noxious plant specie. In oneembodiment, the selection of the treatment period is coordinated todecrease the likelihood the noxious plant specie will propagate. Forexample, the selection of the treatment period is coordinated to precedethe noxious plant specie going to seed, or the selection of thetreatment period is coordinated to precede a reproduction stage of thenoxious plant specie.

In one embodiment, the selected ungulate specie is a domestic ungulate.Examples of such a domestic ungulate include cattle, sheep, goats,lamas, horses, mules, and donkeys. In one embodiment, the selectedungulate specie is a wild ungulate. Examples of such a wild ungulateinclude elk, deer, bison, horses, sheep, goats, and antelope.

In one embodiment, the feed supplement is moved from the firstdeployment location to a second deployment location within the targetarea. In one embodiment, one or both of the deployment locations arepatches having a concentration of the noxious plant specie that isrelatively high as compared to the rest of the target area.

The present invention, in one embodiment, is a method of controllingnoxious plant species. The method comprises recognizing that a noxiousplant specie exists in at least one location within a foraging area,selecting an ungulate to impact the noxious plant specie, determining aproper period for the ungulate to impact the noxious plant specie, andproviding an ingestible in close proximity to the at least one locationof the noxious plant specie, wherein the ingestible increases the amountof time the ungulate spends in close proximity to the at least onelocation, and introducing the ungulate to the ingestible.

In one embodiment, the ingestible is a highly palatable, portable,self-limiting, animal feed supplement. In one embodiment, the ingestibleis selected from the group consisting of chemical blocks, proteinblocks, pressed blocks and liquid feed supplements. In one embodiment,the ingestible is selected from the group consisting of water, livestockcake, beet pulp, grain, silage, hay, and straw.

In one embodiment, the ingestible is selected from the group consistingof mineral blocks, granular mineral supplements, salt blocks, andgranular salt supplements.

In one embodiment, the period is coordinated to decrease the likelihoodthe noxious plant specie will propagate. For example, in one embodiment,the period is coordinated to precede a reproduction stage of the noxiousplant specie.

In one embodiment, the ungulates interact with the noxious plant specieby eating the noxious plant specie and/or by trampling the noxious plantspecie.

The present invention, in one embodiment, is a method of increasing anungulate's ingestion of a noxious plant specie in a foraging area. Themethod comprises placing an ingestible near the noxious plant speciesuch that the ingestible increases the amount of time the ungulatespends near the noxious plant species.

The present invention, in one embodiment, is a method of reducingherbaceous fuels. The method may be consistent with a predetermined planthat includes a map of a region divided into wildfire susceptible areasand including an order for addressing the areas. The method may includeintroducing an ingestible palatable to an available ungulate populationin at least a first wildfire susceptible area in the order anddisplacing the ungulate population to the at least a first wildfiresusceptible area, the ungulate population being attracted to consume theherbaceous fuels in the at least a first wildfire susceptible area in anamount sufficient to reduce the risk of wildfire in that area. Inanother embodiment, the method may also include monitoring the at leastone wildfire susceptible area for reduction of herbaceous fuels. Inanother embodiment, the method may include moving the ingestible to asecond susceptible area in the order. In another embodiment, theingestible may be portioned to hold the ungulate population for apredetermined time. In another embodiment, the method may includeintroducing a second ingestible palatable to an available ungulatepopulation in at least a second wildfire susceptible area in the orderand causing the ungulate population to be attracted to and consume theherbaceous fuel in the at least a second wildfire susceptible areathereby reducing the risk of wildfire in that area. In anotherembodiment, the method may include developing the predetermined plan,wherein developing the predetermined plan may include developing an areamap with a plurality of regions and identification by region of theavailable ungulate populations and herbaceous fuels for fueling awildfire, identifying a region on the map with herbaceous fuels to bereduced, dividing the region into wildfire susceptible areas, andplacing the wildfire susceptible areas in an order for reduction offuel. In another embodiment, placing the susceptible areas in an ordermay include analyzing the susceptible areas for a level ofsusceptibility. In another embodiment, placing the susceptible areas inan order includes developing prioritization criteria. In anotherembodiment, placing the susceptible areas in an order includesprioritizing the susceptible areas based on the prioritization criteria.In another embodiment, placing the susceptible areas in an orderincludes considering practical aspects of treating all of thesusceptible areas of the region.

While multiple embodiments are disclosed, still other embodiments of thepresent invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art fromthe following detailed description, which shows and describesillustrative embodiments of the invention. As will be realized, theinvention is capable of modifications in various obvious aspects, allwithout departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.Accordingly, the drawings and detailed description are to be regarded asillustrative in nature and not restrictive.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a flow diagram illustrating one embodiment of the method.

FIG. 2 is a topographic map showing the unmodified natural wild ungulateforaging distribution in a foraging area in the springtime.

FIG. 3 is a topographic map of the foraging area depicted in FIG. 2,shown during a later preconditioning period.

FIG. 4 is a topographical map of the foraging area depicted in FIGS. 2and 3, shown during a later target period.

FIG. 5 is a topographic map showing the unmodified natural wild ungulateforaging distribution in a foraging area.

FIG. 6 is a topographic map of the foraging area depicted in FIG. 5,shown during a later preconditioning period.

FIG. 7 is a topographical map of the foraging area depicted in FIGS. 5and 6, shown during a later target period.

FIG. 8 is a sectional view of a supplement container.

FIG. 9 is a pictorial view of a supplement container attached to ananimal silhouette.

FIG. 10 is a flow diagram illustrating one embodiment of the method.

FIG. 11 is a diagrammatic depiction of a hypothetical foraging areaillustrating an unmodified ungulate grazing distribution (“UUGD”) andwherein the foraging area is idealized in that no topographicalfeatures, water source locations, etc. impact the ungulate grazingdistribution from being generally uniform throughout the foraging area.

FIG. 12 is a diagrammatic depiction of the same idealized foraging area,except the UUGD has become a modified ungulate grazing distribution(“MUGD”) due to the placement of an ingestible in the foraging area.

FIG. 13 is a flow diagram illustrating one embodiment of the method forreducing herbaceous fuels.

FIG. 14 is a topographic map showing a region and wildfire susceptibleareas within the region according to certain embodiments.

FIG. 15 is an exemplary susceptibility schedule of the wildfiresusceptible areas of FIG. 14.

FIG. 16 is an exemplary prioritization schedule of the wildfiresusceptible areas of FIG. 14.

FIGS. 17, 18, and 19 are exemplary orders of reducing herbaceous fuelsin the susceptible areas of FIG. 14.

FIG. 20 is an exemplary implementation of a method of reducingherbaceous fuels according to certain embodiments.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

This specification discloses methods of modifying the natural foragingdistribution of ungulates. A first embodiment of the invention is amethod of modifying the natural foraging distribution of wild ungulates.Specifically, the method entails preconditioning a foraging area withdomesticated ungulates to enhance its attractiveness to wild ungulates,thereby shifting the wild ungulate foraging distribution (“WUFdistribution”) to encompass the preconditioned foraging area.

A second embodiment of the invention is a method of modifying thenatural foraging distribution of ungulates (domestic and/or wild) tofocus their foraging activities in areas having noxious weeds (e.g.,invasive plant species). The focused foraging activities are used toeradicate or control the noxious weeds and assist in the reestablishmentof native plant species.

A third embodiment of the invention is a method of modifying the naturalforaging distribution of ungulates (domestic and/or wild) to focus theirforaging activities in areas susceptible to wildfires. The focusedforaging activities may be used to reduce overgrowth and/or growth,thereby reducing herbaceous fuels.

1. Modifying Natural Foraging Distribution of Wild Ungulates

As indicated in the flow diagram depicted in FIG. 1 and as will beexplained in greater detail later in this specification, in oneembodiment, the method of modifying the natural foraging distribution ofwild ungulates is as follows. A foraging area is selected to beencompassed by the WUF distribution (block 100). This foraging areabecomes the targeted foraging area (i.e., the foraging area to bepreconditioned). A target period is selected during which the wildungulates will use the targeted foraging area once it has beenpreconditioned (block 105). A preconditioning period is selected duringwhich domesticated ungulates precondition the targeted foraging areaprior to the target period (block 110). During the preconditioningperiod, an ingestible is supplied in one or more deployment locationswithin the targeted foraging area, and domesticated ungulates forage thetargeted foraging area (blocks 115 and 120). The ingestible isingestible by domestic ungulates, attracts domestic ungulates to thedeployment locations, and increases the dwell time of the domesticungulates within the targeted foraging area. After the preconditioningis completed, the domestic ungulates may be removed from the targetedforaging area (block 125). During the target period, the WUFdistribution shifts to encompass the targeted foraging area, which hasbeen preconditioned by the domestic ungulates' foraging (block 130). TheWUF distribution shifts because of the wild ungulates' preference forthe preconditioned forage, in particular, the young, fresh growth thatfollows grazing of old, cured forage.

The method, in one embodiment, will now be explained by referring to aseries of topographical maps (FIGS. 2, 3 and 4) that illustrate how theWUF distribution is shifted away from a field, thereby reducing wildungulate foraging pressure (“WUF pressure”) on the field in thespringtime. FIG. 2 is a topographic map showing the unmodified naturalWUF distribution 2 (shown in phantom) in a foraging area 6 in thespringtime.

FIG. 3 is a topographic map of the foraging area 6 depicted in FIG. 2,shown during a later preconditioning period. Specifically, FIG. 3 showsthe preconditioned forage area 22 (shown in phantom) created by domesticungulates Y. The domestic ungulates Y are drawn to an ingestible, whichis supplied in at least one deployment location 28 during thepreconditioning period.

FIG. 4 is a topographical map of the foraging area 6 depicted in FIGS. 2and 3, shown during a later target period. Specifically, FIG. 4 showsthe modified WUF distribution 2 (shown in phantom) that results frompreconditioning of the foraging area 6.

As illustrated in FIG. 2, the foraging area 6 includes a cultivatedfield 8, a stream 10, steep hills 12, 14, and a non-field area 20 thathas undergone little, if any, grazing by domestic ungulates Y during theprevious season. The location and grade of the hills 12, 14 areindicated by contour lines 16. The foraging area 6 may be prairie,foothills, mountains, forest, desert, etc., or any combination of thesetypes of foraging environments.

Since FIG. 2 depicts springtime conditions, the field 8 has young,tender sprouting plants and the non-field area 20 has old cured foragefrom the previous season. As can be understood by those skilled in theart, wild ungulates X typically prefer grazing young, tender sproutingforage over grazing old, cured forage. Thus, as indicated in FIG. 2, thenatural WUF distribution 2 encompasses the field 8 and the areasimmediately adjacent to the stream 10 and excludes the non-field area20. Thus, the field 8 is under substantial WUF pressure.

A foraging area manager, such as a farmer, rancher or public landmanager, determines that the natural WUF distribution 2 should beshifted via preconditioning of a targeted foraging area 22 so WUFpressure on the field 8 is reduced the following spring. Thus, thetarget period during which the wild ungulates X will use the targeted(i.e., preconditioned) foraging area becomes the following spring (block105 of FIG. 1).

As indicated in FIG. 3, the foraging area manager inspects the foragingarea 6 to select a deployment location 28 that will facilitate thecreation of a targeted (i.e., preconditioned) foraging area 22 (shown inphantom) that will adequately shift the WUF distribution 2 the followingspring (block 100 of FIG. 1). The targeted foraging area 22 will be moreeffective in shifting the WUF distribution 2 away from the field 8 whenconsideration is given to the relationship between the deploymentlocation 28 and the foraging area's topography and water supplylocations. For example, as shown in FIG. 3, the deployment location 28is separated from the stream 10 by hills 12, 14 and significantdistance. Thus, during the precondition period, as domesticatedungulates Y forage between the stream 10 and the deployment location 28,they will create a preconditioned foraging area 22 that is large androughly bounded by the hills 12, 14 and the stream 10. As shown in FIG.3, the preconditioned foraging area 22 also has the advantage of beingon the opposite side of the stream 10 from the field 8. Thus, during thetarget period, wild ungulates X can forage the preconditioned foragingarea 22 and access the stream 8 without having to travel near the field8.

Still referring to FIG. 3, the foraging area manager determines theproper preconditioning period for the agriculture operation is fall(block 110 of FIG. 1) because the field 8 will be free of its crop, andthe forage in the non-field area 20 will be cured. Thus, the domesticungulates Y, when preconditioning the targeted foraging area 22, will beable to remove the old, cured forage without harming any crops in thefield 8.

As illustrated in FIG. 3, during the preconditioning period, aningestible is supplied in one or more deployment locations 28 within thetargeted foraging area 22 to which the domesticated ungulates Y are tobe located (block 115 of FIG. 1). The domesticated ungulates Y thenforage (i.e., precondition) the targeted foraging area 22 (block 120 ofFIG. 1) to remove the old, cured forage. For the purpose of thisspecification, an ingestible is any substance meant to be ingested bydomestic ungulates Y. For example, an ingestible could be water,livestock cake, beet pulp, silage, hay, straw, grain, chemicallyhardened blocks, protein blocks, pressed blocks, liquid or granular feedsupplements, mineral blocks, granular mineral supplements, salt blocks,granular salt supplements, or a highly-palatable, portable,self-limiting, animal feed supplement of the type described later inthis specification. The ingestible will attract the domestic ungulates Yto the one or more deployment locations 28. The ingestible will alsoincrease the presence (i.e., dwell time) of the domestic ungulates Ywithin the targeted foraging area 22. As a result, the domesticungulates may consume all, or most of, the old, cured forage.Additionally, during the preconditioning period, the domestic ungulatesdeposit manure to facilitate the next growing season.

As shown in FIG. 4, when the target period has arrived, which in thisexample is the spring following the fall preconditioning period, the WUFdistribution 2 shifts away from the field 8 to encompass the targeted(i.e., preconditioned) foraging area 22 (block 130 of FIG. 1). This isbecause the preconditioned foraging area 22 has young, tender sproutingplants, the old, cured forage having been removed by the domesticungulates Y during the fall preconditioning period. The WUF distributionshifts from the field to the targeted foraging area 22 because of thewild ungulates' preference for preconditioned forage.

Wild ungulates' preference for forage that has been preconditioned bydomestic ungulates Y is supported by a study entitled, Influence ofCattle Grazing On Elk Forage Conditions and Habitat Selection, K. K.Crane, et al., Proceedings, Western Section, American Society of AnimalScience, Vol. 52 (2001), which is hereby incorporated by reference inits entirety. The study results indicate that elk (i.e., wild ungulatesX) avoided areas where cattle (i.e., domestic ungulates Y) had notgrazed during the preceding summer. The study results also indicatedthat elk preferred to forage in the winter and fall where cattle hadlightly or moderately grazed the preceding summer. Finally, the studyresults indicated that elk strongly preferred to forage in the springwhere cattle had grazed moderately during the preceding summer.

The method, in another embodiment, will now be explained by referring toa series of topographical maps (FIGS. 5, 6 and 7) that illustrate howthe WUF distribution 2 is shifted away from a remote high elevationforaging area 27 to a low elevation foraging area 29 near a road 30.FIG. 5 is a topographic map showing the unmodified natural WUFdistribution 2 (shown in phantom) in a foraging area 6.

FIG. 6 is a topographic map of the foraging area 6 depicted in FIG. 5,shown during a later preconditioning period. Specifically, FIG. 6 showsthe preconditioned forage area 22 (shown in phantom) created by domesticungulates Y. The domestic ungulates Y are drawn to an ingestible, whichis supplied in at least one deployment location 28 during thepreconditioning period.

FIG. 7 is a topographical map of the foraging area 6 depicted in FIGS. 5and 6, shown during a later target period. Specifically, FIG. 7 showsthe modified WUF distribution 2 (shown in phantom) that results frompreconditioning of the foraging area 6.

As illustrated in FIG. 5, the foraging area 6 includes a stream 10,steep hills 12, 14, and a road 30. The low elevation foraging area 29near the road 30 has undergone little, if any, grazing by domesticungulates Y during the previous season. The location and grade of thehills 12, 14 are indicated by contour lines 16. The foraging area 6 maybe prairie, foothills, mountains, forest, desert, etc., or anycombination of these types of foraging environments.

FIG. 5 depicts conditions when the wild ungulates X are foraging in theremote high elevation foraging area 27 and avoiding foraging in the lowelevation foraging area 29 near the road 30. As can be understood bythose skilled in the art, wild ungulates X typically migrate to foragingareas that are remote from the pressures of human civilization. Thus, asindicated in FIG. 5, the natural WUF distribution 2 encompasses theremote high elevation foraging area 27 and excludes the low elevationforaging area 29 near the road 30. This natural WUF distribution 2 canarise at different times of the year for different reasons. For example,pressure from hunters will cause the natural WUF distribution 2 to shiftto the remote high elevation foraging area 27 in the fall. Similarly, innational parks, hot weather and pressure from tourists will cause thenatural WUF distribution 2 to shift to the remote high elevationforaging area 27 in the summer. A foraging area manager, such as apublic land manager, determines that the natural WUF distribution 2should be shifted via preconditioning of a targeted foraging area 22 toincrease the presence of the wild ungulates X in the low elevationforaging area 29 near the road 30. If the land manager is trying toincrease the presence of the wild ungulates X in the low elevationforaging area 29 to allow tourists the opportunity to see wild ungulatesX during the summer months, then the target period during which the wildungulates X will use the targeted (i.e., preconditioned) foraging area22 becomes the summer (block 105 of FIG. 1). If the land manager istrying to increase the presence of rutting elk or deer (i.e., wildungulates X) in the low elevation foraging area 29 to allowphotographers increased opportunity to photograph the elk or deer duringthe fall rut, then the target period during which the rutting elk ordeer (i.e., wild ungulates X) will use the targeted (i.e.,preconditioned) foraging area 22 becomes the fall (block 105 of FIG. 1).

As indicated in FIG. 6, the foraging area manager inspects the foragingarea 6 to select deployment locations 28 that will facilitate thecreation of a targeted (i.e., preconditioned) foraging area 22 (shown inphantom) that will adequately shift the WUF distribution 2 from theremote high elevation foraging area 27 to the low elevation foragingarea 29 (block 100 of FIG. 1). The targeted foraging area 22 will bemore effective in shifting the WUF distribution 2 when consideration isgiven to the relationship between the deployment locations 28 and theforaging area's topography and water supply locations. For example, asshown in FIG. 5, each deployment location 28 is near the road 30 and isapproximately equal in distance from the stream 10. Thus, during theprecondition period, as domesticated ungulates Y forage between thestream 10 and the deployment locations 28, they will create apreconditioned foraging area 22 that is large and bounded by the hills12, 14 and the road 30.

Still referring to FIG. 6, the foraging area manager determines theproper preconditioning period for the tourist scenario is fall (block110 of FIG. 1) because tourists will not be present, wild ungulates Xwill not be giving birth in the low elevation foraging area 29 as theymay in the spring, and forage in the low elevation foraging area 29 willbe cured. Thus, the domestic ungulates Y, when preconditioning thetargeted foraging area 22, will be able to remove the old cured foragewith the least amount of adverse impact possible. In the wildlifephotography scenario, the foraging manager determines the properpreconditioning period is summer (block 110 of FIG. 1) because wildungulates X will not be giving birth in the low elevation foraging area29, and the forage in the low elevation foraging area 29 will be cured.The removal of old cured forage prior to fall and the reception of earlyfall moisture can result in new, fresh forage growth in the fall, whichthe wild ungulates X find enticing.

As illustrated in FIG. 6, during the preconditioning period, aningestible is supplied in one or more deployment locations 28 within thetargeted foraging area 22 wherein the domesticated ungulates Y are thenlocated (block 115 of FIG. 1). The domesticated ungulates Y then forage(i.e., precondition) the targeted foraging area 22 (block 120 of FIG. 1)to remove the old, cured forage. As previously stated, for the purposesof this specification, an ingestible is any substance meant to beingested by domestic ungulates Y, that will attract the domesticungulates Y to the one or more deployment locations 28, and that willalso increase the presence (i.e., dwell time) of the domestic ungulatesY within the targeted foraging area 22.

As shown in FIG. 7, when the target period has arrived, which in thetourist scenario is the summer following the fall preconditioning periodand in the wildlife photography scenario is the fall following thesummer preconditioning period, the WUF distribution 2 has shifted awayfrom the remote high elevation foraging area 27 to encompass thetargeted (i.e., preconditioned) foraging area 22 (block 130 of FIG. 1).This is because the preconditioned foraging area 22 has young, tendersprouting plants, the old cured forage having been removed by thedomestic ungulates Y during the preconditioning period. The WUFdistribution 2 shifts from the remote high elevation foraging area 27 tothe targeted foraging area 22 because of the wild ungulates' preferencefor preconditioned forage.

It should be understood that the two preceding scenarios have beenpresented as examples to illustrate the subject invention. The twopreceding examples are not intended to be limiting.

As can be understood from the preceding examples, the subject inventioncan be employed to utilize domestic ungulates to precondition any typeof foraging area, regardless of the foraging area's vegetativecomposition, water supplies, topographical features, elevation, orlocation. Thus, the foraging area to be preconditioned by domesticungulates for later wild ungulate use will depend on the circumstancesfacing the range manager, the goals the range manager desires, and wherethe range manager would like the WUF distribution 2 to be shifted duringthe target period.

As can be understood from the preceding examples, the preconditioningperiod can occur during any season or month of the year or condition ofthe foraging area. Also, the preconditioning period can be of anyduration. The preconditioning period's timing and duration will dependon the circumstances facing the range manager, the goals the rangemanager desires to achieve, and when the target period is to occur.

As can be understood from the preceding examples, the target period canoccur during any season or month of the year or condition of theforaging area. Also, the target period can be of any duration. Thetarget period's timing will depend on the circumstances facing the rangemanager, the goals the range manager desires to achieve, and when thepreconditioning period occurred.

With most embodiments of the invention, the target period will occurwithin 12 months subsequent to the preconditioning period. For example,in one embodiment, the target period will occur during or immediatelyafter the growth period following the preconditioning period. However,due to drought conditions, during the 12 months subsequent to thepreconditioning period, a growth period may not sufficiently occur toallow the target period. Consequently, in the case of prolonged droughtconditions, the target period may have to wait 24, 36 or more monthsafter the precondition period for an adequate growth period to occur.Therefore, in one embodiment of the invention, the target period can besaid to occur any time after the preconditioning period.

In one embodiment, the preconditioning period occurs any time withinapproximately summer and the target period occurs any time withinapproximately the following spring. In one embodiment, a secondpreconditioning period occurs any time within approximately fall.

In one embodiment suitable for the Northern hemisphere, thepreconditioning period occurs any time within the time span running fromapproximately June 1 through approximately August 31 and the targetperiod occurs any time within the following time span running fromapproximately April 1 through approximately June 30. In one embodiment,a second preconditioning period occurs any time within the time spanrunning from approximately September 1 through approximately November30. In one embodiment, the preconditioning period occurs during a timespan within approximately June 1 through August 31 of a first year andthe target period occurs during a time span within approximately April 1through June 30 of a second, successive year. In one embodiment, thepreconditioning period occurs any time within approximately summer andthe target period occurs any time after the preconditioning period. Inone embodiment, the preconditioning period occurs any time within thetime span running from approximately June 1 through approximately August31 and the target period occurs any time after the preconditioningperiod. In one embodiment, the preconditioning period occurs any timewithin approximately fall and the target period occurs any time afterthe preconditioning period. In one embodiment, the preconditioningperiod occurs any time after the forage in the foraging area hasessentially cured and the target period occurs subsequent to thepreconditioning period when the forage in the foraging area isessentially green.

Based on the preceding disclosure, those skilled in the art will be ableto select time periods for the preconditioning and targeting periodsthat are appropriate for an embodiment suitable for the Southernhemisphere. Therefore, those time periods that are appropriate for anembodiment suitable for the Southern hemisphere should be considered tobe part of this disclosure, and the invention and disclosure should beconsidered to include both Northern and Southern hemisphere embodiments.

As can be understood by those skilled in the art, the subject inventionallows individuals and groups, such as ranchers, farmers, wildlifeenthusiasts, environmentalists, state and national wildlife agencies,and state and national land management agencies, to passively manage(i.e., without fencing or herding) where wild ungulates X forage. Thus,the subject invention is advantageous because it allows individuals andgroups to passively manage where wild ungulates X reside within aforaging area 6.

The subject invention is more effective when the ingestible is onlydeployed in a few locations within the targeted foraging area 22 andperiodically rotated from one deployment location 28 to anotherdeployment location 28. For example, in one embodiment of the invention,a person may move the ingestible from a first deployment location 28within a targeted foraging area 22 to a second deployment location 28within the same or different targeted foraging area 22 when the foragein the area surrounding the first deployment location 28 has beenlightly grazed. In another embodiment, a person may move the ingestiblefrom a first deployment location 28 within a targeted foraging area 22to a second deployment location 28 within the same or different targetedforaging area 22 when the forage in the area surrounding the firstdeployment location 28 has been moderately grazed. In anotherembodiment, a person may move the ingestible from a first deploymentlocation 28 within a targeted foraging area 22 to a second deploymentlocation 28 within the same or different targeted foraging area 22 whenthe forage in the area surrounding the first deployment location 28 hasbeen heavily grazed. In yet another embodiment, a person may move theingestible from a first deployment location 28 within a targetedforaging area 22 to a second deployment location 28 within the same ordifferent targeted foraging area 22 when the ingestible supply in thefirst deployment location 28 has been depleted.

For the purpose of this specification, in one embodiment of theinvention, lightly grazed is approximately less than 25 percentutilization of the available forage, moderately grazed is approximately25 percent to approximately 75 percent utilization of the availableforage, and heavily grazed is approximately greater than 75 percentutilization of the available forage. In one embodiment, the extent ofthe utilization is based on multiple representative transects forstubble height collections that are 100 yards or meters in length. Inone embodiment, the extent of the utilization is determined byconverting plant height to percent utilization with height-weight foragecurves as are known in the art. In one embodiment, plant heights arecollected along utilization transects near the deployment location 28prior to placement of the ingestible and then again after the ingestiblehas been deployed for a predetermined period, such as five days, sevendays, 10 days, etc.

In another embodiment, the extent of the utilization is based on theobservations and judgment of one skilled in the art, such as anexperienced rancher, range scientist, government land manager,environmentalist, etc. In other words, one skilled in the art would viewthe first deployment location 28 and would determine, based on hisexperience and judgment, that the forage in the area surrounding thefirst deployment location 28 has been sufficiently grazed to warrantmoving the ingestible from the first deployment location 28 to thesecond deployment location 28.

Relocating the ingestible from deployment location 28 to deploymentlocation 28 within a targeted foraging area 22 and/or from targetedforaging area 22 to targeted foraging area 22, prevents the domesticungulates Y from locally overgrazing the forage near a deploymentlocation 28 and results in a more evenly preconditioned targetedforaging area 22. Also, relocating the ingestible lowers the initialcapital cost because the person providing the ingestible does not needto stock as many deployment locations 28. Preconditioning of thetargeted foraging area 22 can also be more effective when the ingestibleis provided in a deployment location 28 from which the domesticatedungulates Y can periodically travel to a source of water 10.

If a person chooses to provide the ingestible in several deploymentlocations 28, the deployment locations 28 should be in equivalentpositions. Equivalence occurs in areas where the domesticated ungulatesY use the ingestible at an approximately equal rate.

Equivalent positions can be identified by monitoring the amount ofingestible consumed at a particular deployment location 28 and movingits position accordingly. For example, where the ingestible is providedin a container, a rancher can periodically measure the distance betweenthe top of the container and the top surface of the ingestible to trackthe rate at which the ingestible is being consumed at each deploymentlocation 28. In one embodiment, the interior side of the container mayhave graduated measurement lines that are exposed as the ingestiblesupply decreases within the container. The rancher can then track therate at which the ingestible is consumed by periodically reading thegraduated measurement lines.

In one embodiment, the ingestible used in this invention is an animalfeed supplement made from a highly palatable, consumption limitedmaterial. Palatability refers to the extent that the domesticatedungulates Y desire the product and is related to the product's taste andnutrition content. Highly palatable supplements are preferred, becausethey encourage domesticated ungulates Y to travel greater distances toconsume the product.

Consumption limits prevent domesticated ungulates Y from satisfyingtheir craving for the product in one feeding session. Consumption limitscan be imposed by choosing a supplement material that cannot be consumedrapidly (i.e., a “self-limiting supplement”) or by using a mechanicalapparatus to limit the supplement's availability. Consumption limitedsupplements are desirable, because they encourage the domesticatedungulates Y to spend more time around the deployment location 28 and, asa result, in the targeted foraging area 22.

The combination of highly palatability and limited consumption isparticularly desirable for the present application, because it causesthe domesticated ungulates Y to travel significant distances to thesupplement, to remain in the targeted foraging area 22, and to consumethe local forage between their repeated limited consumption of thesupplement. A suitable supplement could be a molasses product that isdehydrated to reduce the moisture content and fortified with vitamins,minerals, and other protein sources. Other suitable supplements include,but are not limited to a liquid supplement in a consumption-limitingcontainer, a chemically hardened block, or a pressed block.

It is also desirable that the supplement contains those specificproteins, fat, vitamins, macro minerals, and trace minerals that thedomesticated ungulates Y require for proper nutrition. Studies haveshown that the protein content of the forage limits the animal's weightgain because low protein levels reduce consumption and suppressmicrobial fermentation in the animal's digestive system. Nutritionsupplements have also been shown to improve the overall body conditionand the reproductive performance of the domesticated ungulates Y.

The preferred embodiment of the supplement used with this invention isbased on a solid feed supplement sold under the trade name CRYSTALYX®BGF-30 by Hubbard Feeds, Inc., P.O. Box 8500, 424 North RiverfrontDrive, Mankato, Minn. 56001. CRYSTALYX® BGF-30 is a molasses-basedsupplement block manufactured to be fed to cattle free choice. Itcontains molasses products, hydrolyzed feather meal, plant proteinproducts, hydrolyzed vegetable oil, processed grain by-products, urea,monocalcium phosphate, dicalcium phosphate, calcium carbonate, magnesiumoxide, manganese sulfate, zinc sulfate, copper sulfate, copper chloride,ethylenediamine dihydriodide, calcium iodate, cobalt carbonate, sodiumselenite, vitamin A acetate, vitamin D3 supplement, vitamin Esupplement. These ingredients are dehydrated to reduce the moisturecontent and result in the following nutrient analysis:

CRYSTALYX ® BGF-30 NUTRIENT ANALYSIS: Crude Protein, min 30.0%(Including not more than 12.0% equivalent crude protein as non-proteinnitrogen.) Crude Fat, min 4.0% Crude Fiber, max 2.5% Calcium (Ca), min2.0% Calcium (Ca), max 2.5% Phosphorus (P), min 2.0% Potassium (K), min2.5% Magnesium (Mg), min 0.5% Cobalt (Co), min 3.3 ppm Copper (Cu), min330 ppm Iodine (I), min 17 ppm Manganese (Mn), min 1,330 ppm Selenium(Se), min 4.4 ppm Zinc (Zn), min 1,000 ppm Vitamin A, min 80,000 IU/lbVitamin D, min 8,000 IU/lb Vitamin E, min 30 IU/lb Salt (NaCl) noneadded

CRYSTALYX® BGF-30 has a number of beneficial properties. For example,CRYSTALYX® BGF-30 is weatherproof so that a user, such as a rancher, canleave this supplement block in the targeted foraging area 22 withoutlosses to wind or rain. Furthermore, the CRYSTALYX® BGF-30 block onlyhas 2% to 6% moisture content. This is desirable because it reduces thetransportation cost necessary to use the invention in remote and ruggedareas. Finally, CRYSTALYX® BGF-30 improves the livestock's digestion byproviding a good growth medium in the animal's rumen for the bacteriathat break down vegetable material.

Other animal feed supplement formulas are within the scope of thisinvention, several of which are well known in the art. These supplementsgenerally contain the following nutritional content:

NUTRIENT ANALYSIS MINIMUM MAXIMUM Crude Protein 4.0% 65.0% Crude Fat2.0% 12.0% Crude Fiber 0.5% 4.0% Calcium (Ca) 0.4% 10.0% Phosphorus (P)0% 10.0% Salt (NaCl) 0% 10.0% Potassium (K) 0.5% 6.0% Magnesium (Mg)0.15% 6.0% Cobalt (Co) 1.0 ppm 15 ppm Copper (Cu) 15 ppm 1,000 ppmIodine (I) 2.0 ppm 100 ppm Manganese (Mn) 25 ppm 3,000 ppm Selenium (Se)0 ppm 30 ppm Zinc (Zn) 25 ppm 3,400 ppm Vitamin A 0 IU/lb 200,000 IU/lbVitamin D 0 IU/lb 40,000 IU/lb Vitamin E 0 IU/lb 1,000 IU/lb Non-proteinNitrogen 0% 52%

The actual nutrient content depends on whether the supplement isdesigned to have high protein, low protein, and/or trace mineralfortification.

In one embodiment of the invention, the animal feed supplement isprovided in the targeted foraging area 22 at a weekly rate ofapproximately 0.7 to approximately 10.5 pounds of supplement per bovineanimal unit. In one embodiment, the animal feed supplement is a liquidprovided in the targeted foraging area 22 at a weekly rate ofapproximately 10.5 to approximately 35 pounds of supplement per bovineanimal unit.

In one embodiment, the animal feed supplement is a liquid provided inthe targeted foraging area 22 at a weekly rate of approximately 5.2 toapproximately 17.5 pounds of dry matter supplement per bovine animalunit. In one embodiment, the animal feed supplement is a pressed orchemically hardened block provided in the targeted foraging area 22 at aweekly rate of approximately 1.4 to approximately 31 pounds of drymatter supplement per bovine animal unit. It should be noted that theaforementioned “dry matter” rates are the equivalents of what the rateswould be if substantially all of the moisture were removed from asupplement supplied in liquid, pressed block or chemically hardenedform.

The animal feed supplement 46 used in this invention should be providedin a container 48 such as that shown in FIG. 8. This container 48 isgenerally configured into a barrel shape having an open top 50, asidewall 52, a bottom 54, a protruding bottom lip 56, and a top edge 58.The open top 50 should be large enough to allow easy access to thesupplement 46 and the bottom 54 should be wide enough to preventdomesticated ungulates Y (e.g., livestock) from tipping the container48. The top edge 58 is preferably formed into a shape that preventslivestock Y from injuring themselves when consuming the supplement 46.

The weight of the container 48 and of the supplement 46 drives theprotruding lip 56 into the ground 60. This feature makes the container48 particularly desirable for use on steeply sloped hillsides because itdeters sliding motion caused by livestock Y or by gravity in snow, ice,mud or other slippery conditions. Making the supplement 46 essentiallyimmovable by livestock Y even when the container 48 is almost emptyhelps insure that the livestock-attracting focus remains in the samedeployment location 28. However, the size and weight should beconsistent with the need to deliver the filled containers 48 to somewhatremote terrain.

The preferred embodiment uses a steel half-barrel that is offered insizes up to approximately 250 pounds of supplement 46. One advantage ofthis embodiment is that the steel construction prevents livestock Y frombiting or trampling the supplement 46. This enhances the self-limitingfeature of the preferred supplement formula. Another advantage of thepreferred embodiment is its ability to be recycled. Despite theseadvantages, however, other embodiments are possible. For example, thecontainer 48 could be made from plastic, cardboard, or aluminum insteadof steel and the rounded top edge 58 could be replaced by a plasticprotector. Other container sizes, shapes, and materials consistent withthe above objectives are also within the scope of this invention.

The effectiveness of this invention increases if the domesticatedungulates Y (e.g., livestock) develop an association between thesupplement 46 and an identifier associated with the supplement 46.Although a wide variety of features can function as an identifier, aneffective identifier should be capable of signaling the location of thesupplement 46 to the livestock Y over a significant distance. Thisassociation need only be trained into a portion of the herd. The rest ofthe animals will naturally develop the association, because livestock Yare naturally drawn towards other livestock Y. That is, the existence ofa crowd of livestock Y will draw additional livestock Y to thatlocation.

One possible identifier is the color of the supplement container 48.Although this color can be any shade that domesticated ungulates Y(e.g., livestock) can perceive, it is desirable that the color contrastswith the container's surroundings throughout the year. Black and/or bluecontainers 48 appear to be easily perceived both in snow and inrangeland having light brown color tones. The dark colors, like blackand blue, are also desirable because they absorb solar energy. Thiscauses the container 48 to melt into any underlying snow or ice 62 andhelps the container 48 remain where the rancher placed it.

Another possible identifier is the odor of the supplement 46. Althoughthis odor can be any scent that domesticated ungulates Y (e.g.,livestock) can perceive, it is desirable that the odor be relativelyunusual. This will prevent the domesticated ungulates Y from confusingthe identifier odor with naturally occurring scents. One embodiment ofthis invention uses onion by-products to produce an onion odoridentifier.

A third possible identifier is a sound. Like color or odor identifiers,sonic identifiers can be anything perceivable by domesticated ungulatesY (e.g., livestock). However, it is desirable that the identifying noisebe easily distinguishable from naturally occurring sounds. In oneembodiment of this invention, a flexible pole 66 is attached to thecontainer 48 by upper and lower supports 68, 70. A bell 72 is attachedto the flexible pole 66 opposite the supports 68, 70. Livestock Y hitthe pole 66 while feeding on the supplement 46 and cause the bell 72 toring. This sound alerts other livestock Y to the supplement's locationand to the presence of other animals. These two factors combine to drawthe other livestock Y to the targeted foraging area 22. Otherembodiments of this invention replace the bell 72 with a wind-chime. Thewind-chime alerts livestock Y to the supplement's location whenever thewind blows.

It will be easier to establish the initial connection between theungulates Y (e.g., livestock) and the supplement 46 if the identifier isnaturally attractive to the livestock Y. That is, a naturally attractivecontainer (color or configuration) or sound may appeal to the curiosityof an animal that has not previously experienced the supplement 46 anddraw its presence for a taste. Similarly, a naturally attractive odormay lure the livestock Y to the supplement 46 and cause it to try theproduct. These initial tastes will establish the desirability of theproduct. The onion odor used in one embodiment of this invention is onesuch naturally attractive identifier.

The natural instinct of some ungulates Y (e.g., livestock) to congregatecan also be used to enhance the effectiveness of this invention. Asshown in FIG. 9, a decoy 74 can be attached (preferably, removablyattached) to the container 48. The decoy 74 will initially attractlivestock Y to the supplement location. This, in turn, will attractadditional animals to the targeted foraging area 22. Solar-powered soundsources and/or lights (e.g., blinking LED's) can also be used asattractants and identifiers.

The previously-described embodiments of the subject invention present aneffective method of controlling domesticated ungulate foragingdistribution to allow the preconditioning of a targeted foraging area22. Properly controlled preconditioning of a targeted foraging area 22allows the WUF distribution 2 to be modified, thereby allowing thepassive management of wild ungulate foraging and herd location.

The ability of the subject invention to effectively control adomesticated ungulate foraging distribution has been demonstrated in astudy conducted by the Montana State University. The study was conductedto determine whether the natural livestock grazing distribution could beimproved by strategically placing low moisture, molasses-basedsupplement blocks 46 in areas within a grazing area that werehistorically underutilized by livestock Y. Livestock Y, such as cattleY, naturally avoid areas that are located far from water and/or thatrequire them to climb steep slopes. This tendency causes the cattle toovergraze lowland riparian areas while ignoring abundant or high qualityforage in areas far from water or associated with steep slopes.

The research team divided a study area into pastures having easy,moderate, difficult, and inaccessible terrain. The study further dividedthe pastures having moderate and difficult terrain into control andsupplement sites. The research team provided a CRYSTALYX® BGF-30 blockin the supplement sites. Every seven to ten days, the research teammoved the supplement 46 to new locations.

The study compared the cattle's use of the control and supplement sitesby measuring forage utilization and fecal pat abundance beforesupplementation and after removal. The researchers observed more cattleY in areas with the supplement 46 (32±8%) than in control areas (3±2%).They also measured an increase in the number of fecal pats (3.3±7pats/100 m² vs. 0.5±0.5 pats/100 m²) and in forage utilization (17±2%vs. −1±1%) in areas containing supplement. These results indicate thatthe natural livestock grazing distribution can be improved bystrategically placing low moisture molasses based supplement blocks 46within a grazing area. For more information about this study, see Bailey& Welling, J. Anim. Sci., Vol. 76, Suppl. 1, p. 191 (1998), which ishereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.

The invention, in one embodiment, uses domesticated ungulates Y, such ascattle, sheep, goats, lamas, horses, etc., to precondition a targetedforaging area 22 for wild ungulates X, such as elk, deer, bison, wildhorses, etc. Although the present invention has been described inconsiderable detail with reference to certain preferred embodimentsthereof, variations are possible. For example, in another embodiment,the invention may use wild ungulates X, such as privately owned elk,deer, bison, wild horses, etc., to precondition a targeted foraging area22 for other wild ungulates X. Also, for example, this invention couldbe optimized for use with many types of ungulate animals, such ascattle, sheep, goats, lamas, horses, deer, elk, and bison, by switchingthe animal feed supplement 46 to a formula that appeals to thatparticular species. Appropriate supplements, such as CRYSTALYX®STABLE-LYX® for horses and CRYSTALYX® SHEEP-LYX® for sheep, are wellknown in the art. The animal feed supplement described in this inventioncould also include compounds designed to increase livestock performance,such as ingestible hormones, antibacterial drugs, or stimulants.Therefore, the spirit and scope of the appended claims should not belimited to the description of the preferred versions contained herein.

2. Controlling and/or Eradicating Noxious Plants

As indicated in the flow diagram depicted in FIG. 10 and as will beexplained in greater detail later in this specification, in oneembodiment, the method of controlling and/or eradicating noxious plantspecies is as follows. A target area 200 in a foraging area 202 (e.g.,pasture, field, etc.) is identified, wherein the target area 200includes a noxious plant specie 204 (block 300 of FIG. 1). An ungulatespecie (domestic and/or wild) Us is selected to interact with thenoxious plant specie 204 (block 305 of FIG. 1). A treatment period isselected, wherein the ungulate specie Us interacts with the noxiousplant specie 204 in the target area 200 (block 310 of FIG. 1). Aningestible 206 is provided at a first deployment location 208 in thetarget area 200 (block 315 of FIG. 1). The ingestible 206 is ingestibleby the selected ungulate specie Us, attracts the selected ungulatespecie Us to the first deployment location 208, and increases the dwelltime of the selected ungulate specie Us in the target area 200. Theselected ungulate specie Us is introduced to the ingestible 206 locatedat the first deployment location 208 in the target area 200 (block 320of FIG. 1).

For a more detailed discussion of the method outlined in FIG. 10,reference is made to FIGS. 11 and 12. FIG. 11 is a diagrammaticdepiction of a hypothetical foraging area 202 illustrating an unmodifiedungulate grazing distribution (“UUGD”) and wherein the foraging area 202is idealized in that no topographical features, water source locations,etc. impact the ungulate grazing distribution from being generallyuniform throughout the foraging area 202. FIG. 12 is a diagrammaticdepiction of the same idealized foraging area 202, except the UUGD hasbecome a modified ungulate grazing distribution (“MUGD”) due to theplacement of an ingestible 206 in the foraging area 202.

As shown in FIG. 11, a limited area 200 of the foraging area 202 isinfested with many noxious plants 204. For the this disclosure, noxiousplants 204 include native or invasive species plants that are consideredto be undesirable in the foraging area 202 for any reason, regardless ofwhether the plant 204 would be considered beneficial in other foragingareas or under other circumstances. The infested area 200 is termed thetarget area 200, and the noxious plants 204 infest different areas ofthe target area 200 to a greater or lesser extent.

For example, as illustrated in FIG. 11, in some areas of the target area200, the noxious plants 204 are present in a relatively low density (asillustrated in the middle/central portion of the target area 200). Inother areas or patches 210, the level of infestation is of a relativelyhigh density as compared to the rest of the target area 200. That is tosay, highly dense patches 210 of noxious plants 204 may exist in thetarget area 200, as shown in FIG. 11.

As illustrated in FIG. 11, the ungulates U_(S) are relatively evenlydisbursed throughout the foraging area 200. Thus, the UUGD is relativelyuniform throughout the foraging area 200, and the ungulates providelittle means of controlling the propagation of the noxious plants 204.

As shown in FIG. 12, to control, reduce and eventually eradicate thenoxious plants 204 in the foraging area 202, an ingestible 206 isprovided in one or more deployment locations 208 in the target area 200.Providing the ingestible 206 causes the UUGD to shift to a MUGD, whereinthe distribution of ungulates U_(S) becomes focused about the one ormore deployment locations 208 containing the ingestible 206.

The ingestible 206 is placed in the deployment locations 208 aftersurveying the foraging area 202 for the existence of noxious plants 204and determining the infestation pattern of the noxious plants 204 in theforaging area 202. The deployment locations 208 may be anywhere in thetarget area 200 and are located to maximize the impact of the ungulateson the noxious plants 204.

In one embodiment, the ingestible 206 is provided in deploymentlocations 208 in one or more high density patches 210 in the target area200. Over time and as deemed necessary to achieve the necessary impacton the noxious plants 204 in the foraging area 202, the ingestible 206is shifted between various potential deployment locations 208 throughoutthe target area 200.

Because the distribution of ungulates U_(S) becomes focused about theone or more deployment locations 208 containing the ingestible 206, theinteraction of the ungulates U_(S) with the foraging area 200 becomesfocused in those areas proximate the deployment locations 208. In otherwords, the grazing and trampling impact of the ungulates U_(S) isfocused on the vegetation proximate the deployment locations 208.Accordingly, the noxious plants 204 proximate the deployment locations208 become subject to focused grazing and trampling by the ungulatesU_(S). Thus, the noxious plants 204 become subject to the impact oflocalized overgrazing and trampling, which impedes the propagation ofthe noxious plant 204.

Once the survey of the foraging area 200 is complete and a target area200 and deployment locations 208 have been identified, a treatmentperiod and an ungulate specie is selected. The treatment period will bethe period in which the selected ungulate specie U_(S) interacts withthe noxious plant 204, and the selected ungulate specie U_(S) will bethe ungulate specie considered to provide the best impact on the noxiousplant 204 during the treatment period.

In one embodiment, the selection of the treatment period is coordinatedwith a stage of the noxious plant specie 204 that offers an increasedlikelihood the selected ungulate specie U_(S) will graze on the noxiousplant specie 204. For example, some ungulate species will only graze ona specific noxious plant specie during specific growth stages of thenoxious plant specie when the noxious plant specie's taste and/ortexture are adequately appealing to the ungulate species. Thus, thetreatment period is coordinated to coincide with the growth stagesoffering the appealing taste and/or texture to maximize the impact theselected ungulate specie U_(S) will have on the propagation of thenoxious plant specie 204.

In one embodiment, the selection of the treatment period is coordinatedto decrease the likelihood the noxious plant specie 204 will propagate.For example, in one embodiment, the selection of the treatment period iscoordinated to precede or otherwise prevent the noxious plant specie 204going to seed or otherwise reproducing or reaching a reproduction stage.By consistently subjecting the noxious plant specie 204 to focusedungulate grazing and trampling prior to the noxious plant specie 204reaching a reproduction stage, the noxious plant specie 204 will bereduced and, eventually, eradicated in the target area 200.

It is common for one type of plant specie to have a reproduction stagethat occurs at a different time of the year from a reproduction stage ofanother plant specie. For example, the reproduction stage for a firstplant specie might be in the spring and the reproduction for a secondplant specie might be in the early or late summer. The plant specie mayhave several types of reproduction stages, includingpollinization/fertilization, seed production, and seed deposition.Depending on the plant specie, grazing and/or trampling that precedesany one or all of these types of reproduction stages will maximize theimpact on plant specie's propagation.

In one embodiment, the ingestible 206 is continuously or repeatedlysupplied during the treatment period to the deployment locations 208until the noxious plant specie 204 is eradicated in the target area 200.Relocation of the deployment locations 208 throughout the target area200 during the treatment period may be required in order to assureadequately intensive grazing and/or trampling of the noxious plantspecie 204, depending on the size, shape and density of the noxiousplant specie infestation in the target area 200.

In one embodiment, the method will entail multiple treatment periodsduring a single year. In another embodiment, a single treatment periodmay extend for the entire year. In one embodiment, the method will berepeated year after year until the noxious plant specie 204 iseradicated from the target area 200.

In an ideal scenario, the timing for the reproduction stage of thenoxious plant specie 204 will be different than the timing for thereproduction stage of a plant specie that is desirable for the foragingarea. Accordingly, focused grazing and trampling of the noxious plantspecie 204 in the target area 200 will reduce the propagation of thenoxious plant specie 204 without harming the propagation of thedesirable plant specie in the target area 200. Furthermore, because ofthe increased amount of manure in the target area resulting from theincreased dwell time or presence of the selected ungulate specie U_(S)in the target area 200, conditions in the target area 200 will beoptimized to facilitate the desirable plant specie replacing the noxiousplant specie 204. This invention makes possible direct succession ofspecies in the target area.

In one embodiment, the selected ungulate specie U_(S) is a domesticungulate. Examples of such a domestic ungulate include cattle, sheep,goats, lamas, horses, mules, and donkeys. In one embodiment, theselected ungulate specie U_(S) is a wild ungulate. Examples of such awild ungulate include elk, deer, bison, horses, sheep, goats, andantelope. Selection of the ungulate appropriate for the target area willdepend on a number of factors, including the ungulate's compatibilitywith other ungulates scheduled to use the foraging area 202, theungulate's desire to graze the noxious plant specie 204 during theselected treatment period and the ungulates impact on the propagation ofthe noxious plant specie 204, the ungulate's susceptibility topredators, the nutritional value of the noxious plant specie 204 to theungulate, etc.

In one embodiment, the ingestible 206 increases the amount of time theselected ungulate specie U_(S) spends in close proximity to thedeployment location 210. The ingestible 206 is such that the selectedungulate specie Us will, of its own free will, repeatedly return to, andreside near, the deployment location 208. Thus, ingestible 206 passivelymaintains the selected ungulate specie Us in close proximity to thedeployment location 208, which allows focused grazing and trampling ofthe noxious plant specie 204. Deploying the ingestible 206 avoids thehigh cost and labor associated with herding the selected ungulate specieUs into the target area 200. Furthermore, the passive nature of enticingthe selected ungulate specie Us into the target area 200 via deploymentof the ingestible 206 results in greater impact on noxious plant speciepropagation as compared to the aggressive nature of herding.

In one embodiment, the ingestible 206 is an animal feed supplement thatis highly-palatable, portable, and self-limiting. The animal feedsupplement attracts the selected ungulate specie Us to the target area200 and increases the length of stay, or dwell time, of the selectedungulate specie Us in the target area 200. In one embodiment, the feedsupplement 206 is tailored for the nutritional needs of the selectedungulate specie U_(S) and/or the taste preferences of the selectedungulate specie U_(S). In one embodiment, the animal feed supplement 206is any of the CRYSTALYX® products previously discussed in this DetailedDescription.

In one embodiment, the ingestible 206 is a chemical block, proteinblock, pressed block or liquid feed supplement. In one embodiment, theingestible 206 is water, livestock cake, beet pulp, grain, silage, hay,or straw. In one embodiment, the ingestible 206 is a mineral block,granular mineral supplement, salt block, or granular salt supplement.

3. Reducing Herbaceous Fuels in Areas Susceptible to Wildfires

Wildfires require fuel to ignite, to continue, and to spread. The amountof fuel may play a role in the amount of heat generated by the fire,which in turn relates to its destructive power and ability to spread.With little fuel a wildfire may spread more slowly or not all, or it maynot ignite trees or man-made structures in its path, because it does notgenerate enough heat for a long enough time to ignite all potentiallycombustible material. The fuels may be classified as: Ground:subterranean roots, duff and other buried organic matter; Crawling orsurface: low-lying vegetation such as leaf and timber litter, debris,grass or other grazable plants, and low-lying shrubbery; Ladder:material between low-level vegetation and tree canopies, such as smalltrees, downed logs, vines, and invasive plants; and Crown, canopy, oraerial: suspended material at the canopy level, such as tall trees,vines, and mosses. The ignition of a crown fire is dependent on thedensity of the suspended material, canopy height, canopy continuity, andsufficient surface and ladder fires in order to reach the tree crowns.

At least one herbaceous fuel management tool includes prescribed fire.See Robert W Gray, Dry Forest and Grassland Fire Regime Departure:Implications for Society and the Environment, Powerpoint Presentation,pp. 33-44, Oct. 15, 2005. This is described as a very beneficial andeffective tool for grassland restoration. Id. However, when thetreatment area is too small it can incur heavy ungulate use and as such,these prescribed fires may also be part of a “rest rotation” grazingmanagement plan. Id. That is, to avoid over grazing of a given area, thearea may be given a period of time to “rest” between grazing periods bypreventing ungulates from grazing there. Additional treatments forwildfire fuels are discussed in the above presentation relating to heavycrown thinning without grazing and/or removal of ladder and surfacefuels with grazing. Id. at 43-44. As such, it is implicit thatherbaceous materials that may serve as surface fuel are reduced byungulate populations that consume these as food; however, there is nodiscussion of how to direct such consumption. In the present invention,a reduction of such surface fuel, which can assist both in reducing riskof ignition and risk of high heat and rapid spread of a wildfire, can beaddressed by directing and managing ungulate consumption of herbaceousfuels.

The behavior of the ungulates that can assist in reducing herbaceousfuels can be guided and shaped by placement of ingestible 206 asdescribed above, i.e., an animal feed supplement that ishighly-palatable, portable, and self-limiting. The animal feedsupplement may attract the selected ungulate specie Us to a target areafor fuel consumption and may increase the length of stay, or dwell time,of the selected ungulate specie Us in the target area. Depending on thewater sources and bedding down location, the ingestible may also defineone end of a grazing path that is followed by ungulates. In oneembodiment, the feed supplement 206 is tailored for the nutritionalneeds of the selected ungulate specie Us and/or the taste preferences ofthe selected ungulate specie Us. In one embodiment, the animal feedsupplement 206 is any of the CRYSTALYX® products previously discussed inthis Detailed Description. The attraction of the ungulate to theingestible may provide a mode for controlling and directing theirlocation for reduction of herbaceous fuels. The self-limiting nature ofthe ingestible may extend its effective life and attractive power.

In one embodiment, the ingestible 206 is a chemical block, proteinblock, pressed block or liquid feed supplement. In one embodiment, theingestible 206 is livestock cake, beet pulp, grain, silage, hay, orstraw. In one embodiment, the ingestible 206 is a mineral block,granular mineral supplement, salt block, or granular salt supplement.The ingestible formulation may be tailored for nutritional needs of theselected ungulate group and/or taste preferences of the selectedungulate group. The ability to attract repeatedly and hold the ungulateis significant to enhance herbaceous fuel consumption, so the emphasisin ingestible formulation for this application may be on olfactoryattractants and palatability where these might conflict with nutrition.

As indicated in the flow diagram depicted in FIG. 13 and as will beexplained in greater detail later in this specification, in oneembodiment, a method of reducing herbaceous fuels in areas susceptibleto wildfires may include any one or more of the following steps orprocesses. A general region (e.g., a geographic area of any size,including a country, state, national park, ranch, preservation area,etc.) may be selected where susceptibility to wildfires is to beaddressed. (block 400) An ungulate species (domestic and/or wild) Usavailable in or to the region may be selected to address overgrowth orunder-foraged areas. (block 402) A reasonable area size may bedetermined, which may be used to divide up the region. (block 403) Thegeneral region may be analyzed to determine what areas are mostsusceptible to wildfires. (block 404) Criteria may be developed forprioritizing areas based on susceptibility to wildfire or desirabilityfor protection of the area from wildfire or protecting the area'ssurroundings or addressing environmental concerns from wildfires, etc.(block 405) These criteria may identify areas that are most important toprotect from wildfires and/or most important to protect other near-by oradjacent areas from wildfires. The areas may be individuallyprioritized. (block 406) The susceptible areas may be placed in an orderto be addressed based on their individual priority concerns, ease ofmovement of a given ungulate population between areas, number ofavailable ungulates, whether simultaneous treatment is available, etc.(block 408) An ingestible may be provided at a first deployment locationin the area at the top of the order. (block 410) The selected ungulatemay be introduced to the ingestible or the ungulate may otherwise beallowed or caused to enter the first deployment location. (block 412)The area may be monitored for herbaceous fuel reduction resulting fromungulate grazing. (block 414) An ingestible may be placed in a seconddeployment location that is next in order (block 416), and so on. Ineach wildfire susceptible area treated, the ungulate population,available amount of ingestible, and duration of availability ofingestible are selected to cause the ungulate population to consume theherbaceous fuels in the wildfire susceptible area in an amountsufficient to reduce the risk of wildfire in that area.

For a more detailed discussion of the method outlined in FIG. 13,reference is made to FIGS. 14-20. FIG. 14 is a diagrammatic depiction ofa general region. As mentioned, the general region 500 may range from alarge region (e.g., a portion of a state or states) to a relativelysmall region (e.g., a park or forage area near homes or otherbuildings). A region 500 size may depend on several factors. Forexample, a large geographic area may be selected as a result of a globalor national initiative to reduce wildfires, whereas a park or ranch orarea near a building cluster may be selected on a more individual basis.

An ungulate species Us may be selected to address/reduce the herbaceousfuels in the region 500. This selection may depend, at least in part, onthe region 500 selected, both with respect to size and location andungulate availability. For example, in the case of a ranch, domesticungulates may be appropriate and may include cattle, bison, buffalo,sheep, or other domestic ungulates. In the case of a national park,however, wild ungulates, such as elk, deer, or other wild ungulates maybe appropriate. In some circumstances a combination of ungulates may beused. This may be the case where a region 500 is selected thatencompasses lands inhabited by both wild and domestic ungulates.Additional consideration may be given to the overgrowth areas, what theyare overgrown with, and which ungulates are most likely to perform thebest in reducing the herbaceous fuels. For example, in mountainousregions, elk, moose, or sheep, may perform better than cattle. In fact,in certain remote locations, the native wild ungulates may be a uniqueagent used in control. In certain circumstances the ungulate may be ableto access an area otherwise inaccessible by vehicle, such that use ofthe ungulates to control the herbaceous fuels may allow for fuelreduction that would otherwise go uncontrolled. For example, inmountainous or relatively rocky regions, the feasibility of accessingsome areas may be limited, but the native ungulates may be accustomed totraversing the steep hills, cliffs, or other obstructions and thus maybe used to control the fuel levels.

The region 500 may be divided up in to areas 502, where there iswildfire danger and the opportunity to reduce available fuel. The areasize may be determined based on several factors. The area size may bedependent, at least in part, on the type of ungulate being used and thesize of the herd of a given ungulate population. Consideration may begiven to known stocking rates and carrying capacities to determine areasizes. As such, where herds in the region 500 are large, larger areas500 may be used. Where the herds are separable, areas 502 may be reducedin size to allow for addressing multiple areas 502, which may be remotefrom one another, at a given time. This ability to address multipleareas 502 may provide flexibility in how and in what order the severalareas are addressed within the region. The area size may also bedetermined, at least in part, on the ingestible being used and thequantity of ingestibles that are available. That is, the ability tocontrol grazing of a given ungulate may be limited to a distance fromthe ingestible and/or by the location of the ingestible relative to awater source, bedding down area, or other habitual location for theungulates within the area. Where the herd population is large, more thanone or several ingestibles may be necessary in a given area 502 tomaintain the ungulate interest and thus be able to better control theirlocation. As such, a foraging manager may assign a reasonable number ofungulates that may be supported by a single ingestible. The area sizemay then be determined by the distance from the ingestible that the herdis expected to be. Additionally, for larger areas 502, one or moreingestibles may be used in one area 502 and may be spaced to allow forsome overlap of the associated grazing areas, the total square area ofthe grazing areas defining the area 502 being addressed forsusceptibility or opportunity for controlling wildfires. The areas 502may be defined by developing a map with a grid system as shown in FIG.14, or the areas 502 may be defined or partitioned for a map based onlogical distinctions between adjacent areas 502 such as topography,property lines, ungulate type or population, or other logicaldifferences.

With consideration given to the appropriate area size, after mapdefinition, the areas 502 within the region 500 may be analyzed forsusceptibility and opportunity for reducing fuels for wildfires. Thisanalysis may involve consideration of several factors. On-siteinspection, aerial photographs, surveys, or other information may beused to determine the level of overgrowth and the type of overgrowth.Due consideration may be given to geographical and topographicalinformation. That is, climate differences due to geographical locationwithin a region may cause certain areas to be generally hotter and/ordrier than others and thus more susceptible. Topographically, higherareas 502, for example area 502N, may be drier and more susceptible,whereas lower areas 502, for example 502O, may be less dry and lesssusceptible. Some areas 502, for example 502N, may be in close proximityto rivers 504, lakes 506, or other wetland areas and may be generallyless susceptible. Information about wind speeds and directions may beincluded. Areas 502 in higher wind zones may be more susceptible becausethey may be drier and more prone to spread of fire. Surroundingconditions may also be included in the susceptibility analysis. Forexample, areas 502 near or around highways, campgrounds, recreationalareas, or other areas where fire may be started by carelessness, may beconsidered more susceptible. Any information about the areas 502 withinthe region may be relevant to an area's susceptibility to wildfire andmay be included in the susceptibility analysis. The entity performingthe analysis may give due consideration to consistent use of factors andmay consider the same or similar factors for each area 502. An exemplarysusceptibility table is shown in FIG. 15 pertaining to the areas 502 ofregion 500 in FIG. 14. Susceptibility has been shown as low, moderate,or high and has been based upon topography relating to high and lowlying areas in addition to lake and river locations.

Criteria for prioritizing efforts to reduce herbaceous fuels in areas502 may be developed. These criteria may depend, in part, on thesusceptibility of each area 502. However, areas 502 may also beconsidered as important for economic, social, or other reasons. Thisimportance may be based on a need to protect the area in question or ona need to control spread of fires to other areas, or both. These otherareas may include inhabited areas that may or may not have ungulatepopulations. Such areas may not be suitable for encouraging foraging,but rather may be part of the plan for protection by encouragingadjacent foraging for reducing herbaceous fuels. In practice, highlysusceptible areas 502 or those of greater importance for protection mayhave a higher priority. A balance may need to be struck between therisks associated with the susceptibility level of an area 502 and/or thevalue or importance of an area 502, when considering the effects on thearea 502 itself and the surrounding areas 502, if a particular mappedarea 502 were to burn. As such, in some cases, an area 502 with a highsusceptibility may have a lower priority than an area 502 with a low ormoderate level of susceptibility due to the need to reduce fuels in oraround a more important area 502 (which may or may not be grazable)first. In addition, when developing prioritization criteria,consideration may be given to the known natural conditions of theregion, such as the prevailing wind direction or moisture conditions. Assuch, upwind areas may be given a higher priority in an effort tocut-off the spread of fire.

In light of the above discussion, the prioritization criteria that aredeveloped may depend on the type of region 500 being addressed, in thatthe foraging manager may have different goals depending on the scale ofthe operation and the sites within it. For example, on a national,state, county, or other relatively large level, where political leadersor those with more regional goals are making decisions, protection ofpopulated areas and certain environments may be the basis for prioritycriteria. That is, on a large scale, regional goals may includeprotecting human populations, various community structures and theenvironment.

Regarding protecting human populations and community structures, an areawith a relatively average level of susceptibility may be given a highpriority if it is located near a populated residential area or near anarea populated with more vulnerable individuals or essential facilities.(e.g. schools, nursing homes, hospitals, etc.) Importance factorssimilar to those used in building codes may be incorporated to adjustpriority based on the importance of the building occupancies in an area502 or surrounding areas. For example, design loads on buildings areoften increased by 25% for essential facilities. In a similar fashion,the building occupancies in a given area 502 or surrounding area 502 aswell as the number of buildings in or around an area 502 may be used toincrease the priority of an area.

Regarding the environment, environmental concerns may relate toprotecting animal habitats, lake quality, river quality, and possiblythe resulting water supply. That is, after a fire, where forage andother plant life has been damaged, runoff may pollute rivers and lakes,adversely affecting a water supply and causing erosion. In this regionalexample, fuel reduction priority may be given to a moderatelysusceptible area over a highly susceptible area if the moderatelysusceptible area is strategic, e.g., important for protecting a sourceof water for a city or town. Additionally, wetland areas and thosearound them may be given a higher priority than other areas to protectthe large number of species inhabited there.

In addition to considerations of populations, community structures, andthe environment, practical considerations may be included. For example,the priority given to an area 502 may also be affected by its proximityto fire stations. Areas 502 in close proximity to fire fighting stationsmay have their priority for fuel reduction adjusted downward due to theability of the fire fighting organization to react quickly and contain afire if it were to ignite there.

On a relatively smaller or private level, for example a ranch, theprioritization criteria may be mainly determined based on the level ofsusceptibility of the various areas 502. However, due consideration maybe given to the location of a residence relative to a susceptible area502 or the location of neighboring residences, barns, and otherstructures to be protected. Additional consideration may be given to theopenness of areas 502 and the ability of cattle or other animals to fleeor escape. Fenced in areas 502, for example, may have a higher prioritythan non-fenced areas 502, but may still be subject to thesusceptibility and importance analysis above. On this smaller scale,however, where decisions may be made by a single property owner, theinterests of the property owner may be paramount over more regionalgoals. Each region or area may need to be reviewed on a case by casebasis to develop appropriate prioritization criteria.

The prioritization criteria may be a blend of susceptibility and ofprotection importance for the area itself or areas adjacent to it, withweights attached to locations to be protected. Given the variables, anoptimal plan serving all goals or interests may be difficult, evenimpossible to develop. However, any plan with reasonable prioritizationmay permit a region to act or suggest action to reduce at least somewildfire danger or destructive potential. In most larger areas, a planwill have to be carried out in steps because of resource limits. Theremay be cost limits on the number of ingestibles bought at any giventime, limits on the personnel or transport to place the ingestibles,limitations on the number of ungulates or their expected rate of forageconsumption, or limitations on movement of ungulate populations. Whennot all areas can be provided with an ingestible and an ungulatepopulation to consume forage adjacent to or within a known attractionrange of the ingestible, prioritization in use of ingestibles andungulate populations may be needed. The prioritization criteria may bepart of a program that identifies the ungulate population that willconsume the herbaceous fuels and the ungulate populations grazinghabits, the particular ingestible that will be effective to attract andhold the ungulate population, an expected consumption rate and expectedduration of residence in the area, as well as any within-area movementof ingestibles, and planned monitoring of results.

The individual areas 502 of the region 500 may be prioritized. This mayinvolve applying the prioritization criteria above to all or a subset ofthe areas 502 within a region 500 and placing each of the areas 502 on apriority list. That is, considering each area 502 individually, eacharea 502 may be assigned a priority relative to each of the other areas502 without regard to how the program of reducing the herbaceous fuelsmay be implemented.

An exemplary priority list is shown in FIG. 16 pertaining to the areas502 of region 500 shown in FIG. 14. In developing this list, whilesusceptibility to wildfire was considered, the priority also includedconsideration of surrounding area conditions and facilities. Forexample, while area C may have a moderate susceptibility, area Cincludes housing and is adjacent to an area with important facilities,such as a hospital and a school. As such, area C falls in the path of apotential wildfire that may harm this adjacent area. Area D was placedsecond on the priority list, because, while area B is adjacent to aresidential area, area D is near the hospital and school area, falls inthe path of a potential wildfire, and has a high susceptibility ofwildfire. Area B has a low susceptibility for wildfire.

The susceptible and important areas 502 with assigned priorities maythen be placed in order based on the practical aspects of addressing allareas 502. That is, a balance may need to be struck between addressingareas 502 with high priorities as early in the order as possible as wellas making the process cost effective and efficient. This order may bebased on several factors. For example, if the region 500 is large,several types of ungulates and several herds of each type of ungulatemay be available to consume herbaceous fuels. While certain areas 502may not be at the top of the priority list, the ability to use severalherds of ungulates may allow, for example as shown in FIG. 17, the areas502 with the top three priorities to be addressed simultaneously, thusplacing all of these areas 502 at the top of the order. Subsequently,the next three areas 502 in the priority list may be addressed byplacing these three areas 502 second in the order. It is noted that thenumber three is used as an example, and depending on the size of theregion 500 and the number of ungulate herds available (and any need tomove them), many more than three areas 502 may be addressedsimultaneously and as few as one area 502 may be addressed at any giventime. As shown in FIG. 19, an order is shown with one herd, and theorder is based on the priority list of FIG. 16. It is noted that theorder elects to address areas D, C, B, and A in a linearly progressingfashion. Then, rather than jump over to area G or H, which have highsusceptibility levels, the order reflects addressing areas E and F onthe way to areas G and H to avoid having to move the herd sodrastically. As such, the low susceptibility areas E and F get addressedbefore the highly susceptible areas G and H. Such decisions may be leftto the foraging manager with knowledge of the herd, the terrain, and theability to move the herd.

If an entire county in a given state is being considered as a region500, there may be one or more herds of domestic ungulates and/or one ormore herds of wild ungulates being used to reduce herbaceous fuels. Thismay further affect the order of areas 502 where, for example, privateherds may be limited to staying within property boundaries. In thesecases, the areas 502 within the private lands may need to be isolatedfrom the other areas 502 and addressed in their own order. That is, thearea 502 within the private land with the highest priority may beaddressed first and the area 502 with second to the highest priority maybe addressed second and so on. This may cause areas 502 with lowpriority to be addressed well before areas 502 with higher priorities inthe region 500, simply due to limitations on the herd resources andlocations.

In addition to the size of the region 500, the number of herds beingused, and the limitations on where those herds may graze, the order maybe based, in part, on the practicality of moving a given herd and theingestible from one area 502 to another. That is, areas 502 may beplaced in order to make transitioning from one area 502 to anotherfeasible, fluid, and efficient. This may mean that areas 502 may beplaced in order by limiting the transition, from one area 502 toanother, to adjacent areas 502.

For example, as shown in FIG. 18, with due consideration to the prioritylist, a logical order is shown, different from that in FIG. 17, whichtransitions from one area 502 to another 502, without skipping adjacentareas. As such, movement of the ingestible from one area to an adjacentarea may be sufficient to cause the herd to follow the ingestible andrelocate without additional efforts such as herding, hauling, orotherwise forcing the relocation of the herd. Rather than not skippingover any adjacent areas 502, the transition from one area 502 to anotherarea 502 may be limited to skipping over a maximum of one area 502, ortwo areas 502, and so on. In these instances, consideration may be givento the travel path of the herd. That is, some fuel reduction may occuralong the path of travel that may reduce susceptibility of some areas502 and may allow for changing the priority and/or order of when thoseareas 502 will be addressed. In any event, the manager may choose toavoid skipping back and forth across a region 500, which may beinefficient. For example, in FIG. 17, while several available herds mayhave been taken advantage of, the order may not be logical. That is,herd III is shown to move from area B to area H. In FIG. 18, the secondset of areas to be addressed has been modified to better accommodatemovement of the herds. As such, herd I moves from area C to G, herd IIfrom D to H, and herd III from B to A, and in all cases, the herds aremoving to an immediately adjacent area. The foraging manager may choosethe order based on knowledge of the ability to move the herd, theterrain involved, the cost and effort to place and/or move thesupplement, and so on. For example, domestic ungulates may be herdableor haulable, while wild ungulates may not be. Obstacles such as lakes506, rivers 504, cliffs, or other topographical features may also beconsidered in this ordering process. In FIG. 19, where only one herd isbeing used, the order of areas J through I were selected toappropriately navigate around the lake 506 shown in FIG. 14. Otherfactors may be included in placing the prioritized areas 502 in an orderthat makes sense for the given region 500, such as the creation ofprotection zones around important facilities.

With a plan in place, the process of reducing fuels may begin bydisplacing the ungulates to the first deployment location. Thisdisplacement may occur in one or a combination of several ways. Wherethe ungulates are already in close proximity to the first deploymentlocation or are already in the first deployment location, thisdisplacement may occur on a smaller level by placing an ingestible inthe first deployment location causing the ungulates to be attracted andstay there. In another embodiment, the displacement may includesystematically leading the ungulates to the first deployment location.That is, an ingestible may be placed near the current location of theherd or near a central location of known grazing areas of severalungulates. This may be done to initially attract the ungulates to theingestible. This location may also be on a path toward the firstdeployment location. This first location may be within sight or smell ofthe herd or ungulate population so as to attract the herd to theingestible. Once the herd or group of ungulates moves to the ingestible,the ingestible may be moved an additional distance along the path towardthe first deployment location and so on until the first deploymentlocation is reached by the herd. In another embodiment, the displacementmay take the form of hauling one or several herds to the firstdeployment location. In another embodiment, one or several herds may beherded to the first location. In still another embodiment, thedisplacement may include placing the ingestible at a first deploymentlocation and an extended time may be allotted for this first location toallow time for initial congregation of the surrounding ungulates. Otherdisplacement methods may be used to physically move or otherwise focusthe grazing of the ungulates at the first deployment location.

One or more ingestibles may be provided at a first deployment locationin the area 502 at the top of the order. The number and location ofingestibles may depend on the size of the area 502 and the number ofungulates in the area 502. Also, the ingestibles may be positionedwithin the area 502 to allow for equivalence of consumption as discussedabove. The selected ungulate may be introduced to the ingestible or theungulate may otherwise be allowed or caused to enter the firstdeployment location.

The area 502 may be actively monitored for herbaceous fuel reduction orpredetermined grazing periods may be determined. Active monitoring mayinvolve measuring the length of grasses or otherwise measuring the area502 to quantify the herbaceous fuel present and the progress ofreduction. Subject to changes in priority, an area 502 being addressedmay continue to be addressed until its susceptibility is reduced to anacceptable level. That is, where the herbaceous fuels are reduced andthe susceptibility to wildfire is reduced to an acceptable level, theingestible and the herd may be removed from that area 502. This mayoccur by removing the ingestible and placing it in the next area in theorder causing the herd to follow the ingestible. Other methods of movingthe herd, as discussed above may also be used. In the case ofpredetermined grazing periods, specific amounts of an ingestible may beplaced in an area based a known carrying capacity of the area incomparison to the stocking rate as well as a known consumption rate ofthe ingestible. As such, after a given time, the ingestible may run outand the herbaceous fuel in the area may also be reduced to an acceptablelevel. The ungulates may then move on to the next location where aningestible is located because the ingestible in the current area is nolonger providing an attraction. It is noted that while herbaceous fuelsmay be reduced, over-foraging an area 502 may cause it to be prone toerosion. To address under-foraged and over-foraged areas 502, theingestible may be moved around within the area 502 to control the localintensity of foraging taking place. Additionally, reduction of noxiousor invasive plants may be addressed by ingestible placement within agiven area 502 together with reducing herbaceous fuels.

The ingestible used in one area (if not fully consumed) or a freshingestible may be placed in a second deployment location, which is nextin order, and so on. In some embodiments, the ingestible container maybe biodegradable and thus removal of the empty ingestible container (seee.g., U.S. Pat. No. 6,337,097) from an area may not be required.Placement of an additional ingestible at a new location may attract theherd to the new ingestible once the previous ingestible has run out oris no longer supporting the herd. It is noted that a transition of anungulate group from one area to another may occur when the herbaceousfuel in the first location has been reduced to an acceptable level orwhere, for some reason as discussed below, the second location has beenmoved up in the order. The process may continue and areas 502 may betreated as they come up in the order until the entire region 500 hasbeen addressed.

In some embodiments, all areas 502 within a region 500 may be addressedmore quickly, by addressing each area 502 for a shorter period of time.Where, for example, many areas 502 may be considered highly susceptible,a foraging manager, may choose to address each area 502 for a shorterperiod of time to reduce the herbaceous fuels to a less susceptiblelevel. A second pass through the region 500, may then be used to furtherreduce the fuels. Additional passes may also be made and continual orrepeated passes through a region 500, with associated monitoring ofherbaceous fuel reduction, may be planned to address seasonal regrowth.In other embodiments, an expected wildfire path to an important area mayget intense forage focus to cause a possible interruption of theexpected wildfire path. This may include the creation of protectionzones such as wide reduced-fuel swaths along a side of a region toprevent wildfires from moving across the swath. Another type ofprotection zone may include encircling an important area with herbaceousfuel reduction efforts, to surround the area with a buffer zonepreventing or reducing the chance that a wildfire will reach theimportant area. Other protection zones may include grids of rows orpatches to interrupt the spread of wildfire. Consideration may be givento achieving defensible zones as described atwww.ext.colostate.edu/pubs/natres/06302.pdf. This article describes azone 1, in close proximity to structures (e.g., within 15 feet), whereall flammable vegetation may be removed. It also describes a zone 2,positioned beyond the boundary of zone 1 (e.g., from the edge of zone 1to a distance from 75 to 125 feet away from the structure) where grassesare reduced to keep them low, a maximum of 6-8 inches; in addition,stressed, diseased, dead, or dying trees and shrubs are removed andlarger trees and shrubs are thinned and pruned. In light of this,protection zones near populated or otherwise important areas may havethe herbaceous fuels reduced more drastically, than areas more remotefrom these areas.

An exemplary implementation over a six week period is shown in FIG. 20based on the order shown in FIG. 18. As shown, herd I, herd II, and herdIII, may first be displaced to areas C, D, and B respectively, byplacement of an ingestible in each of these areas. After week 1, theingestible may be moved or may have been previously portioned to run outafter the first week. Consideration may be given to the stocking rateand carrying capacity of each of the areas such that the herds' weeklong stay in the areas may result in an acceptable fuel reduction ofeach of the areas. That is, with a known carrying capacity of the areas,the herd sizes may be adjusted to appropriately address the availablefuel in each area for one week. The herd sizes may be adjusted byincreasing or decreasing the number of ingestibles or where the areasare not in close proximity, certain of the ungulates may be herded,hauled, or otherwise encouraged to go to a specific area. In week 2,herds I, II, and III, may move to areas G, H, and A, respectively. Theingestible in the previous areas may be moved as discussed above orplaced in a biodegradable container and allowed to naturally dissolvewhen empty. Over the period of six weeks, as is apparent from FIG. 20,the region 500 may be addressed with the three herds. In week 6, herdsII and III may join herd I in area I. Alternatively, they may be placedat the beginning of the order to re-complete the cycle. Where they joinherd I, the week may be cut short due to a high stocking rate in onearea. In still another example, areas J, M, N, and I may be re-organizedinto three areas and addressed in week 5 to better accommodate the useof three herds.

All area priorities and order may be continually evaluated based on thelength of time required to reduce herbaceous fuels when a given ungulatepopulation is present, increasing or decreasing susceptibility of thecurrent area 502 or other areas 502, etc. In one example, an area 502may have a moderate level of susceptibility and be placed near themiddle of the priority list. Conditions may change and, for example, afireworks display may be planned near or around a given area 502 or adry spell may occur. This may cause its susceptibility to increase. Theforaging manager may increase this area's place in the orderaccordingly. In another example, where the length of time to reduceavailable herbaceous fuel is relatively long, other areas 502 where noforaging may be occurring may continue to grow and produce fuels,causing these areas 502 to become more susceptible. The foraging managermay thus move these areas 502 up in the order. A review of the priorityand order of each of the areas 502 may be scheduled weekly, monthly,quarterly, annually, or any other period which makes sense for theregion 500. Additionally, certain events or conditions may be cause forindividual consideration and may not be allowed to wait for a periodicreview. These events or conditions may include a drought, a pattern ofarson, or anything that affects an area's susceptibility to wildfirethat was not considered in the original analysis or anything thatchanges a factor previously considered.

The reduction in herbaceous fuels by a planned program of placingingestibles to guide herbaceous fuel consumption by ungulate populationsmeets a wildfire risk reduction need that otherwise may go unmet due toterrain or expense or that may otherwise be addressed with herbicides,plowing, or other less desirable interventions. The ability to directavailable domestic or wild ungulate populations to the fuel reductiontask is a largely environmentally friendly way to reduce wildfiredangers including both occurrence and destructiveness. In addition, thehealth of the ungulate population can be addressed simultaneously byvarious formulations of the ingestible.

Although the present invention has been described with reference topreferred embodiments, persons skilled in the art will recognize thatchanges may be made in form and detail without departing from the spiritand scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method of reducing herbaceous fuels consistentwith a predetermined plan, the plan including a map of a region dividedinto wildfire susceptible areas and including an order for addressingthe areas, the method comprising: developing the predetermined plan,wherein developing the predetermined plan comprises: developing an areamap with a plurality of regions and identification by region of theavailable ungulate populations and herbaceous fuels for fueling awildfire; identifying a region on the map with herbaceous fuels to bereduced; dividing the region into wildfire susceptible areas; andplacing the wildfire susceptible areas in an order for reduction offuel; introducing an ingestible palatable to an available ungulatepopulation in at least a first wildfire susceptible area in the order;and displacing the ungulate population to the at least a first wildfiresusceptible area, the ungulate population being attracted to consume theherbaceous fuels in the at least a first wildfire susceptible area in anamount sufficient to reduce the risk of wildfire in that area.
 2. Themethod of claim 1, wherein placing the susceptible areas in an orderincludes analyzing the susceptible areas for a level of susceptibility.3. The method of claim 1, wherein placing the susceptible areas in anorder includes developing prioritization criteria.
 4. The method ofclaim 3, wherein placing the susceptible areas in an order includesprioritizing the susceptible areas based on the prioritization criteria.5. The method of claim 1, wherein placing the susceptible areas in anorder includes considering practical aspects of treating all of thesusceptible areas of the region.
 6. The method of claim 1, whereindividing the region into susceptible areas includes dividing the regionwith a grid.
 7. The method of claim 1, wherein dividing the region intosusceptible areas includes identifying logical distinctions betweenadjacent susceptible areas within the region.
 8. A method of reducingherbaceous fuels consistent with a predetermined plan, the planincluding a map of a region divided into wildfire susceptible areas andincluding a prioritized order for addressing the areas, the methodcomprising: introducing an ingestible palatable to an available ungulatepopulation in at least a first wildfire susceptible area in the order;displacing the ungulate population to the at least a first wildfiresusceptible area, the ungulate population being attracted to consume theherbaceous fuels in the at least a first wildfire susceptible area in anamount sufficient to reduce the risk of wildfire in that area;monitoring a level of susceptibility of each susceptible area andre-prioritizing the susceptible areas based on the level ofsusceptibility and changes in each area's conditions and surroundings.9. The method of claim 8, further comprising updating the prioritizedorder.
 10. A method of reducing herbaceous fuels consistent with apredetermined plan, the plan including a map of a region divided intowildfire susceptible areas and including an order for addressing theareas, the method comprising: introducing an ingestible palatable to anavailable ungulate population in at least a first wildfire susceptiblearea in the order; displacing the ungulate population to the at least afirst wildfire susceptible area, the ungulate population being attractedto consume the herbaceous fuels in the at least a first wildfiresusceptible area in an amount sufficient to reduce the risk of wildfirein that area; and monitoring a level of susceptibility of eachsusceptible area, wherein the monitoring includes periodic monitoring.11. The method of claim 10, further comprising moving the ingestible toa second susceptible area in the order.
 12. The method of claim 10,wherein the ingestible is portioned to hold the ungulate population fora predetermined time.
 13. The method of claim 12, further comprisingintroducing a second ingestible palatable to an available ungulatepopulation in at least a second wildfire susceptible area in the orderand causing the ungulate population to be attracted to and consume theherbaceous fuel in the at least a second wildfire susceptible areathereby reducing the risk of wildfire in that area.
 14. The method ofclaim 10, further comprising selecting an ungulate group.
 15. The methodof claim 14, wherein the ungulate group includes a domestic ungulate.16. The method of claim 14, wherein the ungulate group includes a wildungulate.
 17. The method of claim 14, wherein the ungulate groupincludes domestic and wild ungulates.
 18. The method of claim 10,wherein the ingestible is a feed supplement.
 19. The method of claim 18,wherein the feed supplement is tailored for at least one of nutritionalneeds of the selected ungulate group and taste preferences of theselected ungulate group.
 20. The method of claim 10, wherein theingestible is a highly palatable, portable, self-limiting, animal feedsupplement.
 21. The method of claim 10, wherein the ingestible isselected from the group consisting of chemical blocks, protein blocks,pressed blocks and liquid feed supplements.
 22. The method of claim 10,wherein the ingestible is selected from the group consisting of water,livestock cake, beet pulp, grain, silage, hay, and straw.
 23. The methodof claim 1, wherein the ingestible is selected from the group consistingof mineral blocks, granular mineral supplements, salt blocks, andgranular salt supplements.
 24. The method of claim 10, wherein theingestible is in a biodegradable container.
 25. The method of claim 10,wherein displacing the ungulate population to the at least a firstwildfire susceptible area comprises one of systematically leading theungulates to the at least a first wildfire susceptible area, hauling aherd of ungulates to the at least a first wildfire susceptible area, andattracting the ungulate population to the at least a first wildfiresusceptible area.
 26. A method of reducing herbaceous fuels consistentwith a predetermined plan, the plan including a map of a region dividedinto wildfire susceptible areas and including an order for addressingthe areas, the method comprising: introducing an ingestible palatable toan available ungulate population in at least a first wildfiresusceptible area in the order; displacing the ungulate population to theat least a first wildfire susceptible area, the ungulate populationbeing attracted to consume the herbaceous fuels in the at least a firstwildfire susceptible area in an amount sufficient to reduce the risk ofwildfire in that area; and monitoring a level of susceptibility of eachsusceptible area, wherein the monitoring includes consideration ofindividual conditions or events for an area.